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Abstract

The recent emergence of the postmodern discourse has led to the creation of a
multitude of new approaches to counselling, amongst which one of the most
current is the narrative approach, developed by Michael White. This approach to
therapy has gained tremendous popularity during the past decade.
The researcher was interested in the possibilities of a combination of narrative
therapy with another system of therapy known as playtherapy with sand. In this
method, therapy is carried out by means of a process where a client is
encouraged to create a miniature representation of his world and his problems in
a sandtray, using miniature objects that are representative of various life elements.
Like Narrative counselling the playtherapist also works with the clients' stories
The client builds his story in the sand, rather than making use of words.
The researcher felt that these two forms of therapy might have a lot in common,
and set out to explore the similarities and potential for co-operation between these
two therapeutic modalities. The origins, basic assumptions, and methodologies of
Narrative therapy and playtherapy with sand are discussed, followed by an in
depth examination of the correspondences between these two systems.
The researcher asks questions about the possibilities of a creative way of entering
into discussion with the client from a narrative perspective - using playtherapy
with sand to support the process, or even playtherapy with sand, to be supported
by Narrative therapy.